Frequently Asked Questions

We provide outpatient Weight-Inclusive Nutrition and Mental Health Counseling. We specialize in supporting adults and adolescents with mood and anxiety disorders, OCD, eating disorders/disordered eating/chronic dieting, and trauma. 

Our office is located at 413 29th Street Northeast Suite F, Puyallup, WA 98372. 

Yes, we provide both virtual and in-person sessions to better cater to your needs. You can select your preferred format when you schedule your appointment. 

You can setup an appointment with an Ash & Birch provider by completing our Prospective Client Intake Form.

Yes! We accept a variety of insurance plans. You can check out what insurances we are in-network with here! 

Option 1: Out-of-Network Benefits

If Ash & Birch Counseling is an out-of-network provider we can provide a receipt (a "superbill") for you to submit to your  insurance for possible reimbursement.  Payment is due at the time of service for individuals using their out-of network benefits.  

Option 2: Private Pay  

You can access private pay rates here.

Yes! We accept private pay for services and you can access rates here.

A typical Weight-Inclusive Nutrition and Mental Health Counseling session at Ash & Birch Counseling lasts 50-60 minutes, although some sessions may be longer or shorter depending on your needs and preferences.

This is 100% individualized based on your support needs. However, we tend to see folks every 1-2 weeks in the beginning and will reassess as needed depending on your progress within sessions together. 

We have seen folks for a few months up to a few years. It truly depends on the individual and their healing journey.

A registered dietitian is a credentialed healthcare professional that is a  trained expert and required to meet strict educational requirements.  They are required to achieve a bachelor's degree (and a master’s degree since 2024), complete an accredited supervised dietetic internship, pass a national exam, and complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain licensure. 

There is no specific or standardized meaning for “nutritionist” meaning anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. All registered dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians.  

Weight-Inclusive is a compassionate care framework that recognizes and promotes body diversity and holistic health. Recognizing a focus on intentional weight loss causes harm, does not improve health, and further invokes weight stigma and discrimination. All bodies have the right to seek out healthcare without any bias.  

Intentional weight loss can often lead to negative side effects and it almost never leads to long-term weight loss or any improvement in health.  Want to learn more? Check out this resource here! 

Parents play a crucial role in their teenager's mental health and nutrition journey. At Ash & Birch Counseling, we believe in fostering a collaborative environment that includes parents while respecting the confidentiality and autonomy of teens aged 13 and older. The level of parental involvement ultimately depends on the teenager’s willingness for such involvement and requires written consent from teens over 13 years old.

Parents can participate in the initial assessment, provide ongoing support by staying informed about progress, access educational resources, join family or joint sessions when appropriate, and encourage their teenager's attendance at therapy and nutrition sessions. Research shows that supportive parent and caregiver involvement leads to more positive outcomes.

This collaborative approach ensures that teens aged 13 and older receive comprehensive care while respecting their independence and personal growth.

Trauma work at Ash & Birch includes a variety of practices designed to evoke profound mind and body healing from the present impact of past traumatic experiences and memories.  Current research clearly demonstrates that trauma is stored in the body, thus effective healing practices must include somatic (relating to the body) practices to calm the nervous system and release the activation that results in present distress.  All trauma work at Ash and Birch involves both the mind and the body. 

Additionally, Christie is seeking certification through the Association of Energy Psychology (ACEP) in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) which involves imaginal exposure to past traumas while tapping on acupressure points in the body to calm the nervous system in the present and release stuck energy.  EFT involves many techniques including those that do not require repeating traumatic experiences out loud and thus can be individually tailored to contain emotional responses and result in powerful healing.

Kelsey and Christie have both dedicated over ten years to working in higher levels of care and outpatient environments, helping individuals overcome eating disorders. 

Kelsey is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP), bringing an extra layer of expertise to her role. 

They each bring valuable experience and skills to their roles, ensuring that their patients receive the comprehensive care they need. Their commitment and expertise have made a significant impact in the field of eating disorder treatment.